Improvement in velocipedes



isa full, clear, and exact'description thereof, reference dog and springconnected therewith.

' in theseveral figures.

' thereof into a rotary motion or'movement; and

if its parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

my invention, I will proceed to describe its'construction and operation.

- of the machine, which may be of wood or metal, and

' chine at a, right angle to the length of the platform A, and issupported in bearings formed in a frame which chine.

upon the central portion of the driving-axle, and so about the samediameter, upon a counter-shaft.

. rectly above :the same, and at such a distance therefrom, that the twolast-named gear-wheels will mesh atrnt (attire.

C. A. HARPER, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 91,438, dated June 15, 1869 IMPROVEMENT IN'VELOCIIE'IElDIEiS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, O; A. HARPER, of New York, in the county of' NewYork, and State-of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Velocipedes; and I do hereby declare that the following being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon. Figure 1 is a plan or topview of a velocipede, showing myimprovement attached thereto;

Figure 2-is a longitudinalelevation through the centre of the devices,showing the general arrangements of the parts; and, 1

Figure 3 ma side elevationcof the arm which is attached to theratchet-wheel shaft, and the pawl or Corresponding letters refer tocorresponding parts This invention relates to animprovement'in'velocipedes, and is designed as an improvement upon themeans for converting the reciprocating movements It consists in thecombination and arrangement of .To enable those skilled in the art tomake and use A, in the drawings; represents the bed or platform of anydesired proportions. I

- B B represent the driving-wheels, which are to be secured to an axle,O, which extends across the mais secured to, and rises from suchplat-form. B is the leading or guiding-wheel, which is'attached to therear end of the platform A,'by means of an arched bar of 'metal, asshown in fig. 2 of the drawin s. 0 represents the driving-wheel axleabove alluded to. D represents the seat upon which the operator sitewhile riding upon and operating the machine. It is to *be arrangeddirectly in front of the driving-wheel axle, and so that the face of theperson sitting thereon will be in the direction of the movements of thema- E represents a gear-wheel, which is to be placed arranged as to meshinto and drive another wheel, of

I F represents'a gear-wheel which is to be secured to a counter-shaft,which has its hearings in the same frame to which the driving-axle issecured, and diinto each other, and the formerbe driven by the latter.

G G represent ratchet-wheels, which are to be placed upon the shaft lastabove named, t'. e., the one to which the gear-wheel F is attached, theybeing arranged upon each side of such wheel, and firmly secured to suchaxle in any convenient manner. These wheels and axles may, however, bedispensed with, and the ratchet-wheels, one or more of them, be placedon the driving-axle.

H represents a lever, of which there are two, having upon their innerends bosses, in which an aperture is formed through which the shaft ofwheel F passes. These levers extend outward from the shaft, upon whichthey are placed, to a point just outside of the periphery of theratchet-wheels, for which distance they are of considerable thickness;or they may have a socket secured to this portion of them, to receivethe slide to which the dog or pawl is attached.

From the point where this'slide enters the socket, formed in or uponthese levers, they are to be reduced in thickness, and this reducedportion extends for some distance further in the same direction, for thepurpose of allowing the outer end of the slide, to which the spring a isattached, to be secured thereto, and

also the end of the jointed lever I, hereafter to be described. I 1

I I represent jointed levers, which are to be placed upon the innersides of the levers or arms H, their outer ends being pivoted to suchlevers, and their inner end pivoted together insuch a manner, that inthe operation of the machine they can be elevated at the points wherethey are pivoted together, and thus operate the levers H, and throughthem the ratchetwheels G G.

I represents a slide, which is to be attached to the sides ofthe leversH H, there being one upon each lever. The inner ends of these slides areto be of any suitable form to prevent them from turning, and that willfit into the socket formed upon the arms H H, while their outer ends areto be round, for the purpose of receiving the spring a, as clearly shownin fig. 3 of the drawings.

P represents a dog or pawl, which is to be pivoted to the flat or.square portion of slides I I, so that they can turn upon such pivots,and engage with the teeth upon wheels G G.

K K represent connecting-rods, which are to have their upper endsattached to the jointed levers I I, their lower ends being pivoted tothe ends of levers L L, to which the arms or rods L L are attached, foroperating'the machine.

L L represent levers, which are to be pivoted to the rear end ofplatform A, as clearly shown in fig. 21

These levers are constructed in the form of a trough, having parallelsides for a portion of their length, and may have, in their bottoms, ahinged portion, capable of revolving upon its axis, as shown at b, fig.2, and

which may be used to retain the levers in their most elevated position,by turning such hinged portion, so that one of its ends will rest uponthe platform A.

L L represent rods, which are to be attached to the sides or some otherportion of levers L L, and are to extend forward, in a horizontaldirection, to a point midway of the operatois seat, or thereabouts, whenthey are to extend vertically for a distance which will bring themwithin easy access of the operator, when seated upon the machine.

M represents a frame or standard, which is to be secured to the platformA, and so arranged that it will span the levers L L, as shown in fig. 1.

N represents a roller or sheave, which is attached to the frame M insuch a manner that a rope may be passed over it, and have its endssecured to staples or eye-bolts in the levers L L, the arrangement beingsuch, that as one of the levers is forced downward, the other will, bythe same movement, be drawn up, and thus be brought into a position foruse.

0 represents a cross-arm, which is to be placed upon the top of theframe P, and is for the purpose of guiding or steering the machine, itsends being provided with rings or holes, for the attachment of a cord orrope, which extends therefrom to the operators seat for that purpose.

P represents the frame in which the guiding-wheel turns and issupported.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows:

The parts having been constructed and arranged as described, theoperator seats himself upon the seat D, and grasps with his hands theends of rods or arms L L, and altemately raises and depresses them, orstands upon the reciprocating levers, alternately chang ing his weightfiom foot to foot; or two operators may work together, one from theseat, the other standing on the levers, which operation communicatesmotion to the levers L L, and through them to the jointed levers I I,which, being attached to the arms or levers H H, which are secured tothe shaft upon which the ratchet-wheels are secured, gives to them anintermittent motion, which motion is communicated to the driving-wheelsthrough the gear-wheels E and F, and axle C, by which the intermittentreciprocating motion of the levers is converted into a continuous rotarymotion of the wheels.

I have described the arrangement of the parts, for converting thereciprocating motion into a continuous rotary motion, as applicable onlyto velocipedes; but it is apparent that it may be used forturning-lathes, and various other devices, with equal facility.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is

I. The combination of the jointed levers I, arms or levers H, slides 1',springs a,connecting-rod K, levers L, and ratchet-wheels G, forconverting the reciprocating motion into a continuous rotary motion,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of the swinging portion b of the levers L,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

0. A. HARPER.

Witnesses:

E. T. MACKAY, Cass. L. Goonwmr

